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Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE."

WILLIAM E. FLETCHER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR'TO ATLASPOWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

WATERPROOF SHADE FABRIC.

No Drawing.

The primary object of this invention is to produce a li ht weight,water-proof, crack resistant fa ric, particularly adapted for use in themanufacture of window shades.

In the past it has been customary to use light weight textile materials,either, sized or not, for such purposes as making window shades. In theendeavor to secure low priced products, light and flimsy fabrics such assheeting are frequently used. These flimsy fabrics have little body andpermit the pasage of a large amount of light. In order to I give thesefabrics the necessary body, and

to render 'themsufiiciently opaque, the

fabrics are sized and filled with pigments.

Shades made ofsuch sized goods are not water resistant and are easilydamaged when they become wet from rain, snow or other causes. age, thefilling material begins to crack and separate from the goods or to dustaway, therefrom. This renders the shades unsightly and greatly shortenstheir life. The filling of. the fabric with sizing and pigment tends tomake the resultant productmore or less brittle and this, in conjunctionwith the constant flexing to which the shade is subjected in use, has atendency to cause 30 cracking which further adds; to the unslightlyappearance of'the shade. The process which I have devised for thetreatment of materials adapted for use in the manufacture of windowshades eliminates the difficulties above referred to and produces afabric. which is light enough for the use) stated, is wholly Waterproof,so that it will not be in the least damaged by long exposure to snow orrain, and is so flexible and elastic that it will resist cracking underprolonged flexing.

Furthermore, under therocess that I have devised, the coating t at isapplied to render the fabric waterproof serves the further usefulfunction of bindin in place any filling previously applied to t efabric, such as sizing or pigment, and thus prevents the cracking anddusting away of the same. Broadly stated, the invention resides incoating each side of a suitable fabric, such as sheeting, Holland shadecloth, or any other suitable, light weight, fabric with a thin film of anitrocellulose solution. By this I mean a viscous liquid, consisting ofnitrocellulose, dissolved in a suitable sol- Furthermore, as the shades-Applioation filed December 23, 1924.' Serial No. 757,764.

vent or mixture of solvents ofnitrocellulose and with or without theadmixture of non-solvents of nitrocellulose, vegetable oils q andsofteners, such as camphor, triphenylphosphate, and the like. The filmof nitrocellulose solution may be'applied by spraying or brushing thesame upon the fabric, by passing the fabric through the solution or byapplying a coating of nitr cellulose with a coating machine, such as isused in the manufacture of leather cloth. I do not wish to limit myselfto the method .of applying the composition containing nitrocellulose, tothe fabric.

The fabric may be dyed, or not, before method lends itself to theproduction of' highly ornamental efi'ects since any desired design maybe imprinted upon the shade and thereafter protected by the applicationofthe nitrocellulose film. In other words it would be possible by meansof'this process to beautifully decorate the shades with delicate watercolors, which would not, of

themselves, be in the least resistant to mois ture, nor adapted for useupon window shades, and thereafter render these effects permanent byprotecting them with a transparent coating of nitrocellulose solutionthrqjugh which the ornamentation would be visi le.

It is important in producing window.

shade material for the trade that the niaterial be very light in weightand quite thin. For that reasonI make the coating so thin that the totalweight of the-entire film will not exceed one ounce per square. yard.After a film has been applied to one side of thefabric that side isdried and then the film is applied to the other side of the fabric andthe second side dried.

Where a thin transparent coating of nitro cellulose solution is appliedto shade cloths of conventional kinds, the appearance of the cloth isnot materially changed.

Having described 'my invention, what I claim is:

As anarticle of manufacture, a base consisting of light-weight sized orfilled fabrics, and a flexible, elastic and waterproof film of apyroxylin material 11 on each side thereof, said film being so t1in thatthe total weight thereof does not exceed one ounce per square yard.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

WILLIAM E. FLETCHER.

